Crackdown; Police To Quiz Irani Gang Kingpin In Robbery, Fraud And Arson Cases

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Notorious Irani gang kingpin Raju Irani was produced before the district court on Sunday evening under tight security after being brought from Surat to Bhopal by the Nishatpura police. After hearing the case, the court granted a seven-day police remand to facilitate further investigation.

Police records reveal that Raju Irani aka Dakait has cases registered against him in Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Police officials said further action would be taken after detailed questioning.

Nishatpura police in-charge Manoj Patwa said Raju would be interrogated in multiple cases related to robbery, fraud and arson. Police would also intensify search for other gang members who had been on the run for a long time, he added.

Police officials said that Raju Irani went underground following a major police action at the Irani Dera in Bhopal on December 28. Based on surveillance and local intelligence inputs, the Surat Crime Branch arrested him from the Lalgate area of Surat on Saturday. He was later brought to Bhopal on transit remand.

Meanwhile, police are also searching for Kala Irani, believed to be the mastermind behind several highway robberies, along with Mukhtar Irani, Saheb Ali, Ali Haider and Sartaj. Police officials expect several crucial disclosures during the remand period.

Investigations have revealed that Raju Irani’s rival Kala Irani’s gang was actively involved in highway robberies in Agra, Noida, Delhi, Rajasthan and other places, often impersonating as RTO officials to stop trucks and loot them.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar Irani, who was earlier engaged in pickpocketing, is now allegedly involved in the drug trade. Police inputs suggest his name has surfaced in MD drug cases in Bhopal as well.

Another faction of the gang, involving Saheb Ali, Ali Haider and Sartaj, allegedly targeted jewellery shops in different states. The accused reportedly conducted reconnaissance and struck when the shop owners were alone, fleeing with jewellery.

Distracting victims by throwing chemicals in crowded areas and outside banks was also part of their modus operandi.

Police officials expect that interrogation may lead to significant breakthroughs in dismantling the entire Irani gang network operating in multiple states.

Not a dacoit, helped poor, claimed Irani

Speaking to the media inside the court, Raju Irani claimed innocence and said that he was not a dacoit and that he helped poor people. He asserted that he earned his livelihood through farming and property dealing and denied involvement in any serious criminal activity. Raju Irani claimed that he had not committed any crime in Bhopal or other states in recent years and that he had already received legal relief in old cases.